Turbine



J. O, HEINZE July 19, 1932.

TURBINE Filed Aug. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS J. O. HEINZE July 19, 1932.

TURBINE Filed Aug. 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN 0. HEINZE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN TURBINE Application filed August 24, 1928. Serial No. 301,779.

This invention relates to turbines of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,388,707, dated August 23, 1921.

p In this type of turbine, the combustion chamber is practically filled with a great number of comparatively thin propeller blades which are therefore, subjected to the high heat generated in this chamber and are liable, in time, to become distorted or partially disintegrated thereby.

An objectv of the present invention is to effectually cool these propeller blades by directing air over portions of the blades to carry away the heat imparted thereto in the combustion chamber. A further object is to provide a mounting for the blades so constructed as to facilitate installation, reduce,

the cost of manufacture, provide ample bearing for each blade upon the mountlng to 1n- 23 sure efiicient rigid support, and obviate all danger of the blades becoming loose in their support or displaced during engine operation. i

Vith the above and other ends in view, the 2 invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section through a structure illustrative of an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same drawn to a reduced scale;

v Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is a similar sectional detail substantially upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The operation of the turbine shown in the accompanying drawings is substantially the same as that of the turbine shown in my patent above referred to, but the construction has been modified to provide for an eflicient cooling of the propeller blades and to adapt the engine for installation in a motor vehicle construction. v

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the turbine comprises two separate and oppositely rotating rotors, indicated as a whole by the numerals 1 and 2, said rotors including annular plates or disks 3 and 4 respectively,

with the disk 3 secured adjacent its inner edge to a radial flange 5 on the tubular end portion 6 of an inner shaft 7, and the disk 4 bolted to alike flange 8 on a sleeve 9 through which the solid portion 7 of the inner shaft extends. The plates or disks 3 and 4 are spaced apart, providing a suction and compression chamber 10 therebetween which is in free communication with the interior of the tubular end portion 6 of the inner shaft or shaft of the rotor 1, through a series of holes 11.

The shafts 6 and 9 are mounted for free' independent rotation in opposite directions, within bearings 12 0f the anti-friction type, which bearings are mounted within tubular hub portions 13 of a non-rotatable rigid frame comprising a spider 14 made in two halves extending over and meeting in the mid-trans verse plane of the rotors, said spider parts being flanged and securely bolted together by the bolts 15, forming a rigid supporting frame within which the rotors are mounted and free to rotate. Within the suction and compression chamber 10 are two pairs of radially extending annular plates 16. the plates of each pair being spaced apart with one pair rigidly secured in any suitable manner to each disk 3 and 4, and the plates of each'pair are formed withalined openings of a size and shape to conform to the cross-sectional sh ape of blades 17 which are forced endwise through these alined openings with the inner ends of the blades projecting across the chamber 10 and with the rows of blades carried by one rotor, alternating with the rows of blades on the other rotor and all of the blades curved in the direction of their width 0 to form suction and compression blades arranged and formed substantially as in the well known Sirocco pressure fan or blower, their cross-sectional curvature and'the angle of the setting of the blades on one rotor relative to those on the other rotor, being such that they will act to draw into the chamber 10, gaseous fluid through the openings 11 from the hollow shaft 6 to which said combustible fluid mixture is supplied compression chamber 10, an annular chamber the chamber from the chamber 10 through a,

19 is formed by securing a pair of parallel spaced apart annular lates 20 to opposite sides of a peripheral flan e 21 on each of the disks 3 and 4, the pairs of side walls of the chamber 19 and which walls are spaced apart a sufficient distance to provide a chamber of substantiallv three times the cubical capacity of the chamber 10 which chamber is in communication with the inner end of chamber 19 through a narrow space between the outer edge of the disks 3 and 4. A spark plug 22 is connected in the usual manner by wiring (not shown) to any suitable source (not shown) of electric current and is carried by the flange 21 on one of the disks andv projects into the chamber 19' to ignite the combustible fluid forced into fire screen 23 secured to one-of the disks and extending across the space forming the inlet for the chamber 19 so that the combustible mixture in chamber 10 will not be ignited by the flame in the outer chamber.

Chamber 19 therefore forms a combustion and expansion chamber and extending across the chamber and carried by the side walls thereof are interactive ressure receiving or pressure imparting form of propeller turbine lades 24-wh1eh 1n the articular form illustrated, are similar to b ades employed in the well known Parsons turbine. ach rotor is provided with several concentric series. or steps of these blades and the respective blades on the two rotors are curved oppositely to accord with the direction of rotation of the articular rotor on which they are mounte flhese blades also overlap with the blades of the respective steps or rows projecting alternately from the side walls of the chamber antlil across the chamber to the opposite side wa These blades 24 are rigidly supported and securely held in proper relative position, b forming the two disks 20 comprising eac pair, with alin'ed openings of proper size and shape to receive the blades which are forced "endwise therethrou h, each pair of disks thusproviding spaced apart supports for each blade with the outer end ortions of the blades projecting a considera le distance beyond the outer disks 20 with their outer ends fitting within openings in a third or'outer disk 25 which disks 25 are rigidly secured in spaced relation to the outer disk of each pair 20 by bolts 26 and s acer sleeves 27 on theseebolts. The several b ades of each rotor are thereforev further supported by the disks 25 and an annular air passage 28 is formed between each disk 25 and the adjacent disk 20 with the outer ends of the plates forming the e ements in the blades 24 extending across these passages. Cast integral with or otherwise rigidly secured to each of the disks 3 and 4 is a series of laterally extending blades 29 which are curved in the direction of their width and set with the tangents to their curves at an angle and inclined according to the direction of rotation. of the rotor by which they are carried, so that air will be forced thereby outward through the passages 28 over the outer ends of the blades which project across said passages, each disk 25 being of a width to extend across the full width of the blades .29 against the outer free and edges thereof and enclose said blades within the inner open ends of the assages, the outer ends of the passages eing also open for the free escape of the air forced radially outward therethrough by the blades.

As the two rotors are, driven in opposite directions by the action and reaction on the blades 24 of the expanding ases in the combustion chamber 19, the sha ts to which these rotors are secured, also rotate in opposite directions and to'take off power from both of these shafts in such a manner that. such power is available for the urposc of propelling a motor vehicle, an to also .'1IO\'id0 a construction and arrangement w ich is particularly ada ted for such use, the sleeve 9 formin the s aft of the rotor 2 is provided with a bevel inion 30 at its outer end through which en the shaft 7 of the rotor 1 extends, and a like bevel pinion 31 is secured upon the projecting end of the shaft .7. Mounted at right angles to the shaft 7 in suitable bearings in a casing 32 forming a housing for these ears and rigidly bolted to the end of the hu 13 of the fixed frame 14, is an idler shaft 33 with its end projecting from the casing and on this stub or idler shaft is an idler pinion 34 in mesh with both of the pinions 30 and 31 so that power will be transmitted from one to the other of said inions to turn the pinion 31 in a reverse dlrection to that of the pinion 30 but in the same direction as the shaft 7.

A bell housing 35 is bolted-to the end of the casing 32, and arranged to be bolted at its perip ery to a fly wheel housing (not shown) and secured to the end of the shaft 7 within this bell housing is a circular member 36ada ted to be bolted directly to the usual clutc assembly (not shown This construction and arrangement of motor is therefore particularly adapted for installation upon motor vehicles.

In operation the engine is initially started by applying ower to the projecting end of the stub sha t 33 in any suitable manner. The rotors are thus initially rotated in opposite directions to cause combustible fluid to be drawn into the chamber 10 by the operation of the blades 17 compressed therein and forced into the com ustion chamber 19. A

. phere, the products of combustion escape freely.

The mounting of all of the blades 17 and 24 in spaced apart thin metal Walls having alined openings shaped to conform to the cross-sectional sha of the blades, provides a very strong'r'igi support for these blades or and also securely holds the same in their proper relative positions, at the same time affording a construction which is cheap to manufacture, and b extending the. blades 24 and providingca third disk or wall forming an air passage across which the extended ends of the blades extend, effective cooling of these "blades is secured as the heat imparted to the blades within the combustion chamber will quickly-pass byconduction to their outer ends and b'ecarried away by the air forced through the airpassages by the blades 29.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is I 1. A turbine including opposed rotors forming between them a chamber, pairs of parallel spaced apart plates secured adjacent their inner edges'to said rotors and forming the walls of said chamber means forming air passagesmt the outer side of each wall,

and blades extending from each wall'across the chamber to adjacent the opposite wall,

said plates'of each pair and said means bein formed with aligned openings within whic the outer end portions of said blades are fixed with said outer end portions extending across said air passages.

2, turbine including opposed rotors for ng between them a chamber having side Walls, a plate carried by each of said rotors and spaced from each of said side walls to form air passages outside of said walls par allel with said chamber, and propeller blades carried by said chamber side walls and extending across said chamber with their outer end portions extending across said air passages at each side of said chamber.

3. A turbine including opposed rotors forming between them an inner suction and compression chamber and an outer combustion chamber in communication with said inner chamber, a plurality of spaced apart plates carriedaby each rotor and forming the side walls of said combustion chamber,'an outer plate spaced from the outer plate of each pair to form air passages at the outer side of eachpair of plates forming said side walls of said combustion chamber, said pairs of said plates being formed with aligned openings and said outer plates being formed with openings, and a plurality of blades carried by each rotor and supported within said openings in said pairs of plates and said openings in said outer plates with their inner end portions extending across said combustlon chamber to adjacent the opposite wall thereof and with said inner end portions of the blades carried by one rotor in overlapping relation to those carried by the other rotor and with the outer ends of said blades extending across said air passages, and blades carried b said rotors for forcing air outwardly throug said air passages.

4. A turbine including a supporting frame, opposed rotors supported in said frame for free rotative movement, said rotors forming between them an inner annular suction and compression chamber and an outer annular combustion chamber in communication with said inner chamber, said combustion chamber side walls being each formed by spaced apart plates, suction and compression blades in said inner chamber, propeller blades mounted in openings in said spaced apart plates forming the side walls of the combustion chamber with their inner ends extendin across said chamber, a plate carried by eac rotor and spaced from said plates forming the side walls of said combustion chamber to' form air passa es, said propeller blades extending throug and beyond said walls into openings in said plates forming said air passages and across said passages, and blades on each rotor for forcing air across the outer projecting ends of said propeller blades through said air passages.

In testimony whereof I afiix' my si ature.

' JOHN O. HEI ZE. 

